How to Make Origami Flowers: A Simple Tulip and Lily

Origami flowers are folded from square sheets of paper without cutting or glue. The easiest place to start is a tulip, which takes two squares and a few minutes: one for the blossom, one for the stem and leaf. Once that feels comfortable, a lily teaches the folding bases used by many more advanced flowers. Thin, crisp paper and sharp creases make every model easier.

Paper and tools

• Origami paper (kami): thin squares, coloured on one side, often sold at 15 cm. Thin paper folds cleanly and holds a crease.
• Patterned or duo paper: coloured on both sides, useful for lilies where the inside of the petals shows.
• Printer paper cut square: fine for practice, though thicker and harder to fold small.
• A bone folder or the back of a fingernail for sharp creases.
• Optional: a pencil for curling petals and a dab of glue for bouquets.

A simple origami tulip

The blossom

1. Place a square coloured side down and fold it in half along the diagonal to make a triangle. Turn it so the long edge is at the bottom and the point faces up.
2. Fold the bottom-left corner up so it sits slightly to the left of the top point, at an angle. The flap should stick up past the top edge a little.
3. Repeat with the bottom-right corner, mirroring the first fold. You now have a shape with three points along the top: the two petals and the original tip in the middle.
4. Turn the model over. Fold the small corners at the left and right sides backwards to round off the flower.
5. Turn it back to the front. The blossom is done.

The stem and leaf

1. Take a second square, green if possible, and crease it along one diagonal.
2. Fold two neighbouring edges in to meet the crease, forming a kite.
3. Fold the same edges in again to the centre line so the kite becomes long and thin.
4. Fold the whole thing in half along its length.
5. Fold the lower part of the stem up and outwards at an angle to form a leaf, then open it slightly so it stands away from the stem.
6. Slide the narrow top of the stem into the pocket at the bottom of the blossom.

A classic lily

The lily looks impressive but is built from repeated moves. Fold slowly and check that every flap matches its neighbours.

1. Make a square base. Crease a square along both diagonals (folding one way) and both middle lines (folding the other way), then collapse it into a small square with the open end at the bottom.
2. Squash-fold each flap. Lift one flap upright, open it and press it flat into a kite shape. Repeat on all four flaps. This creates what folders call the frog base.
3. Petal fold. On each face, fold the lower edges in to the centre line, unfold, lift the bottom point up along those creases and flatten. Repeat on every side.
4. Narrow the shape. Fold the lower edges of each layer to the centre again so the model becomes long and slim.
5. Open the petals. Fold each of the four top points down over the outside.
6. Curl. Roll each petal gently around a pencil so it curves outwards.

Origami flower models compared

Folding tips that make a difference

• Pre-crease. Folding and unfolding guide lines before collapsing a base makes everything line up.
• Work on a hard surface. A table gives sharper creases than your lap.
• Check corners. Small errors early on grow larger with every step.
• Start big. Learn a model with large paper, then shrink it for decorations.
• Take breaks. If a step will not make sense, walk away and look at it again later.

Ways to use folded flowers

A bunch of paper tulips in a small jar lasts for years and suits a desk or a windowsill. Lilies with wire stems make a bouquet that never needs water. Single flowers work as gift toppers, napkin decorations or place cards; folding guests' names into the stems is a personal touch for a cosy and warm wedding party. Many couples who order real arrangements still like a paper version to keep, and the article on how online flower delivery shops plan wedding and event flowers shows how colour schemes are matched, which helps when choosing paper.

Real petals can be kept too: the guide on pressing flowers with a book, a press or an iron pairs well with folded blooms on a card or in a frame. If you prefer bigger, fluffier shapes, tissue paper flowers fill a room faster.

Questions about origami flowers

What is the easiest origami flower?

The tulip, because the blossom needs only a handful of folds and the stem is a simple kite shape.

What size paper should I use?

Standard 15 cm squares suit most beginner models. Larger sheets make learning easier; smaller ones look delicate once you are confident.

Do I need glue?

Traditional single-sheet models do not. Modular flowers such as kusudama, and bouquets on wire stems, are easier with a little glue.